Machine for manufacturing metal wheels.



No. 778,957. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

' J. H. HASKINS.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING METAL WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 19(14.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD JAN. 3, 1905.

J. H. HASKINS.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING METAL WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N C J 1i w. 9 I MVHHAVO O V 0 NE viva UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. HASKINS, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING METAL WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,967, dated January 3, 1905.

I Application filed January 30,1904. Serial No. 191,287.

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. HAsKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego 'and State of 5 California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Manufacturing Metal Wheels, of which the following is a complete specification.

The object of the invention is to provide 1 o mechanism for automatically pressing the rim or tire of the wheel on the spokes thereof and then riveting them all simultaneously to the said tire. It has heretofore been the custom as far as known to me to secure and rivet the spokes individually and consecutively to the tire of the wheel, thus requiring more labor and consuming more time in the manufacture of said wheels.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken as indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan showing in detail one of the sliding plates on which are mounted the arms and gripping-jaws; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the said arms and sliding plate as indicated by the line 4 4 in Fig. 8, with a fragment of the way for the sliding plate also shown.

In the drawings, A designates thebase upon which is mounted the various parts of the machine. This base is circular in form and is provided with a series (eight in this instance) of annular openings, into which fit and are secured cylinders B. Resting upon these cylinders and tighly bolted thereto are the cylindrical hollow trunks C. On these trunks is supported the bed or frame D, which is in effect an annular ring with the flange D on the upper side thereof projecting inwardly. On the frame D are mounted the cylinders E, two of such cylinders being symmetrically disposed with respect to each of the trunkcylinders C. This of course is merely by preference, for as many of these cylinders may be used as there are spokes to be formed in the wheel.

In the cylinders B are fitted the pistons F,

guided and controlled by the piston-rods F, which operate as plungers in the trunk-cylinders C, and the glands f prevent leakage be tween the upper and lower cylinders. In the horizontally disposed cylinders E are the plungers E, to the inner ends of which are secured the riveting-heads c. A duct or pipe 0 connects the interior of each trunk-cylinder C with a pair of cylinders E. The lower pistons Fare operated, preferably, by pneumatic pressure, and the cylinders C are filled with a liquid. Thus when the piston Fis forced upwardly the plunger E will be forced inwardly by hydraulic pressure. No means are shown for retracting or returning the plungers E, for the drop of the pistons F by pressure or gravity will cause them to be returned by the tendency to produce a vacuum in their rear. Positive means could be introduced, however, for returning the pistons to normal position.

Operating in radial lines coincident with the longitudinal center of the cylinders E are the sliding plates G,on which are pivotally mounted the oppositely-disposed arms 9 g, carrying the cooperating jaws g 9, (see Fig. 3,) the pivotal point of said arms on the plate being at the points 9 g. The outer ends of these arms carrying the jaws are controlled by the links g g pivotally connected to said arms at the points 9 g and to the flange D of the fixed frame D at the points 9' The links g are arranged at an obtuse angle closely approaching a right angle with respect to the arms g, thus forming a toggle-joint and bringing the jaws g g to bear with great pressure upon the sides of the interposed spoke. These jaws g are in effect integral with the arms g, but consist, preferably, of hardened steel to better enable them to withstand the wear incident to extreme pressure. These jaws, arms, and supporting-plates are operated in the following manner: Mounted upon the base-plate A in a central position with respect thereto is the cylinder H, open at its upper end, over which fits the cylindrical cap H, the fit between these two being air or water tight. As the water or' air is admitted into the cylinder H the cap H will be raised, and the release of the pressure will permit the said cap to drop by its own weight, or it can be made to positively return to its lower position by any suit able mechanism. The upper end of this cap is provided with a series of lugs, which form pivotal bearings for the links 2', which connect the said cap H with the series of sliding plates G. As the cap H is raised or lowered by air or hydraulic pressure the said links 2' will shove or pull the plates G outwardly or inwardly in their Ways on the flange D of the annular frame D. This movement of the plates G, as before described, will cause the outer ends of the jaws to close up on the spokes and clamp them securely while the tire is being forced upon their ends and the spokes riveted. The relative arrangements of the pivotal connections of the links 2' with the cap H and the sliding plates G are such as to form a toggle-joint, the pressure exerted effectuating the operation of the gripping-jaws. On the top of the cap is the spindle J, on which is placed the hub carrying the spokes to which the tire is to be secured. This spindle holds the hub in a central position, and as the cap H is permitted to drop the spindle will be withdrawn from the hub. A valve K, controlled by the lever it, operates to admit gas or water to the cylinder H, and the valve K, controlled by the same lever, operates as an exhaust for said cylinder. The pressure may be applied beneath the pistons F through the small vertical pipes 6, leading from the feeder-pipe B and controlled by the valve 1), which is operated by the lever 6 The exhaust is effected through the short vertical pipes 6 leading from the cylinders B to the exhaust-pipe B controlled by the valve 72 which is operated by the lever 6 Between the cylinders E are placed the small cylinders L, in which operate the plungers L, with the plunger-rods Z, extending to and connecting with the footpieces Z, sliding radially on the supportingframe D. These small cylinders L may be fed by a single feeder-pipe, as L from which leads the small inlet-pipe Z to the cylinders L, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The function of these secondary cylinders and plungers is to force the rim or tire of the wheel on the ends of the spokes before riveting the spokes thereto.

By having the smaller cylinders L and pressure-feed Z arranged independently of the riveting-plungers E the rim can be forced upon the end of the spokes before the gripping-jaws have been caused to grip the spokes. This is of considerable importance, because a slight lateral movement of the free ends of the spokes is required to meet the lateral movement of the apertures in the rim caused by pressing the same inwardly. If this pressure-feed were not arranged independent of the riveting-heads, then it wouldbe necessary to grip the spokes before forcing the rim in gripped. 1

The operation of the machine is as follows;

A hub W, containing the spokes 10, with the shoulders w formed on the outer ends thereof, is placed upon the spindle J. The member designed to form the tire or rim of the Wheel having been bent or rolled to approximately the desired diameter is then put in place, the diameter being such that it will encompass the spokes of the wheel. The tire is preferably left unwelded until after the spokes have been riveted thereto. As pressure is admitted to the small cylinders L the feet Z, which bear against the tire, press the tire in place upon the spokes of the wheels. While the distance between the position of the ends of the spokes lessens as the diameter decreases, the spring of the spokes will accommodate any slight variation and permit the spokes to be made to register with and engage their respective apertures in the tire notwithstanding such variation. The jaws g are then gripped tightly upon the spokes near the shoulder to thereof. This is accomplished by introducing pressure, hydraulic or pneumatic, to the cylinder H through the valve K, which will cause the cap H to raise and through the links 2' force the plates G outwardly and the front or outward end of the arms g, carrying the jaws 9 against the spokes. The pressure is continued in this cylinder, a gripping action continuing on the spokes also until after the plunger E is forced out by the piston F rising. The piston F is raised by the pressure admitted beneath, it being understood that the interior of the cylinder C, or, in fact, all of that space between the top of the plunger F and the rear end of the plunger E, is filled with a comparatively inelastic medium, such as water or oil. The rivetinghad on the plunger E will engage the end of the spoke w and form the head to thereon, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pressure beneath H and the piston F is released, which will cause the said cap H to drop, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and withdraw the gripping-jaws. The piston F and plunger F dropping will cause the plunger F to move back to its normal position, as heretofore described. The Wheel is then removed and the operation repeated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, adevice for supporting the hub of the wheel, means independent of the automatically-actuated riveting-plungers for pressing the rim of said wheel simultaneously upon all the spokes thereof, jaws for gripping and holding the spokes of the wheel, means for actuating said jaws, and a series of automatically and simultaneously actuated plungers provided with rivetingheads for riveting the said spokes to the rim of said wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, a spindle for supporting the hub of the wheel, plungers with presser-feet attached thereto for forcing the rim of said wheel upon all the spokes thereof simultaneously, jaws for gripping and holding the spokes of the wheel inside the rim, a single means for actuating said jaws and a series of automatically and simultaneously actuated plungers provided with rivetingheads for riveting the said spokes to the rim of said wheel, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, spoke-gripping jaws, a hub-retaining device, vertically-reciprocating mechanism for simultaneously actuating both the said spoke-gripping jaws and the hub-retaining device, means for pressing the tire of the Wheel on the spokes thereof, and a series of plungers having riveting-heads in connection therewith for simultaneously forming heads on the ends of the spokes, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, spoke-gripping jaws, a hub-retaining device, a fixed cylinder, a vertically-reciprocating cylinder cooperating in conjunction therewith and means in connection with said vertically-reciprocating cylinder for actuating both the said spoke-gripping jaws and the hub-retaining device, means for pressing the tire of the wheel on the spokes thereof, and a series of plungers having riveting-heads in connection therewith for simultaneously forming heads on the ends of the spokes, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, spoke-gripping jaws, vertically-reciprocating means for simultaneously actuating all of the said spoke-gripping jaws, means independent of the riveting-plungers for pressing the tire of the wheel upon the spokes thereof and a series of plungers having rivetingheads in connection therewith for simultaneously forming heads on the ends of the spokes, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for manufacturing metal wheels, in combination, spoke-gripping jaws, a hub-retaining device, vertically-reciprocating mechanism for simultaneously actuating both the said spoke-gripping jaws and the hub-retaining device, means for pressing the tire upon the spokes thereof, a series of plungers having riveting-heads in connection therewith for simultaneously forming heads on the ends of the spokes and means for applying hydraulic pressure to said plungers, substantially as described.

JAMES H. HASKINS.

Witnesses:

I. J. ANGIER, BELLE SUMNER ANGIER. 

